Have you ever
wanted to play on old German street game requiring only a whittled broom stick and eat a bologna sandwich while nuns watch enthusiastically with the sounds of a rag time
band playing in the background? Look no
further than Schnitzelburg.
On the
last Monday on July, a block of Hoertz Street, otherwise known as George Hauck
Way, closes down for the annual World Championship Dainty Contest.
![]() |
George Hauck / Photo by Zahra Farah (Courier Journal) |
Revived
in 1971 by George Hauck and Charlie Vettiner, the Dainty Contest celebrates its
43rd year this July. The
games are played next to Hauck’s Handy Store, a staple in the Schnitzelburg
neighborhood since 1912. The namesake of
the store, George Hauck, will be 93 years old at this year’s Dainty Contest.
Dainty
is a game that originated by German immigrants in 1800. The game requires a 5” stick and a 3’ stick,
which can be cheaply made from an old broom stick with the bristles
removed. The 5” stick, known as the
dainty, is placed on the ground (usually with cone shaped ends) and the 3’
stick is used to hit the dainty. The
object is to get tap the dainty, making it airborne, hit it like a baseball,
and try to get the dainty the furthest, all with one hand behind your back. Contestants get three strikes (one strike =
any contact between both sticks) and then they’re out.
![]() |
The "dainty" |
Though
it may sound simple, it isn’t. Most
people don’t even get the dainty more than a couple of feet, let alone a few
inches. However, the record was broken
last year by Herb Rowe with a whopping 149 feet and seven inches, beating the previous
record that was set in 1981! The winner
gets a trophy and bragging rights, while the person who hit the dainty the
shortest goes home with a basket of lemons.
Oh, there is a strange catch – you must be 45 or older to play.
But the event isn’t just for adults over 45. Hoertz and Goss will be littered with a mix
of people on the upcoming July evening, from little tikes enjoying cotton candy
to hipsters having some cool brews to grown-ups playing the lotto out of brightly
lit Kentucky Lottery mobiles.
After
the initial contest there will be a one-legged race for the kids and a band, so
you might want to bring your dancing shoes.
You can
pick up a Dainty meal – a bologna
sandwich, a bag of chips and a whole dill pickle - for the unbelievably low
price of $2.00! Add to this a copious
amount of beer and ice cold soft drinks and it’s a party!
![]() |
Event organizer Gary Allen MC-ing the event |
The 43rd
World Championship Dainty Contest will be played on Monday, July 29th
beginning at 5:45.
According
to the Courier Journal, “City and state officials expected to attend the event
include Lt. Gov. Jerry Abramson, Mayor Greg Fischer, Louisville Metro Council
President Jim King, Jefferson Circuit Clerk David Nicholson and Jefferson
County Property Valuation Administrator Tony Lindauer.”
There
will be door prizes and a 32” flat screen television giveaway at the end of the
night. Proceeds from the Dainty Contest benefit The Little Sisters of the Poor.
We hope to see you there!
We hope to see you there!
List
of Dainty Winners:
1971
Pete Goeing
1972
Al Wilding
1973
Jack McGrath
1974
Alton Beckman
1975
Dick Strauss
1976
C. L. Cundiff
1977
Norton Reibert
1978
Russ Horlander
1979
Pete Goeing
1980
C. L. Cundiff
1981
Gene Klein
1982
Bill Becht
1983
Leon Welch
1984
Coy Thomas
1985
Jerry Tucker
1986
Herman Kipp
1987
Bill Becht
1988
Charlie Vettiner
1989
Bert Robbens
1990
Cy Just
1991
Ed Hollkamp
1992
John Hoeck
1993
Paul Craig
1994
Paul Craig
1995
Tom Huelsman
1996
Stewart Peters
1997
Jim Turner
1998
Bill Becht
1999
Bill Ridge
2000
Stewart Morrisey
2001
Norbert Riegling
2002
Bert Robben
2003
Bert Robben
2004
David Woods
2005
John Belski
2006
John Yarmuth
2007
Kevin Triplett
2008
Tony Lindauer
2009
Mark Misback
2010 Barry Bernson
2011 Jerry Clark
2012
Herb Rowe (new record of 149ft 7 inches)
2013 ???
Where did the word dainty come from? As a kid I played the same game but the name of the game was Klimpi. I'd love to know the origin of dainty. It doesn't sound like a German name. Can anyone help? helenvtopor@gmail.coj
ReplyDeleteOops, typo! That should be gmail.com, not con.
ReplyDeleteIt suspect it's autocorrect doing it again.
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